Dolphins fans like draft pick better than new uniforms

MIAMI GARDENS — — On the night the Miami Dolphins unveiled a new look linking their past to their future, Dan Marino cut to the heart of the significance with pinpoint accuracy.

"It's fine. It's about looking forward and a new vision for the Dolphins," Marino said of the new logo that replaces the one he wore on his helmet longer than anyone else. "But the bottom line, and we all know it, it's about winning football games. It don't matter what the logo is if you're winning."

The importance of the player over the uniform was underscored by the Hall of Fame quarterback's receiving the loudest cheers from thousands of fans who packed the field at Sun Life Stadium on Thursday night for the unveiling of the new uniforms. That is, until an hour later, when the Dolphins traded up in the NFL Draft to select Dion Jordan, a new star they hope will make those uniforms more impressive.

That uncharacteristically bold move provided the surprise that was lacking in the unveiling ceremony, as images of the updated logo and uniforms have been circulating on the Internet. Dolphins Ryan Tannehill and Cameron Wake led several teammates out in the new gear they will wear next season.

Tannehill wore the all-white home uniform, while Wake modeled the aqua jersey that approximates the color from the early days of the franchise. There also are aqua pants that will be worn on occasion.

Bob Griese, who quarterbacked the Super Bowl champion Dolphins of the 1970s, was quick to embrace the new look.

"I never was a big fan of a dolphin with a helmet on it," said Griese, endorsing the more realistic figure in the new logo. "I think it looks confident, it looker stronger, it looks ready to battle."

Some fans were resistant to the change. Don Flugel, who had a rubber dolphin mask on his head, was happy about the return to the more traditional colors, but lamented the demise of the familiar logo.

"It's just tradition. The logo back in the '60s had the helmet with the M for Miami. It's on my mask here," said Flugel, 36, of Melbourne. "Eventually the new logo will grow on me. I was really upset, but now I'm kind of getting over it."

Mike Wilson wore a shirt with the old logo, but had already purchased a couple of new caps. They will join a collection of caps he has from almost every season, which are never worn.

"I don't particularly like it, but I'll go with it," said Wilson, 60. "I still think it looks more like a whale than a dolphin."

Griffin Van Nest, an avid Dolphins fan since the early 1970s, is no fan of the new logo. He isn't buying into the intent to depict the dolphin in its most powerful swimming pose.

"To me it looks generic and non-threatening," he said. "I wasn't opposed to a change, but it strays too far away from the original template. It's too drastic of a change."

Van Nest, who often attends Dolphins away games with his face painted with the team colors and sporting an aqua-and-orange mohawk, said he won't be adding the new look to his extensive collection of team gear.

"I think it's a money grab, really," Van Nest said. "I was going to buy everything. Now I'm not going to buy anything. I don't like the design."

But Kimberly and Tom Brown were already proudly wearing new Dolphins shirts. The Denver residents made their first trip to South Florida for the uniform ceremony.

"All teams that get new logos have good luck usually. We saw with the Broncos, once they got a new logo, they went to the Super Bowl," Tom Brown said.